Ladder-bracket.



C. PARKER.

LADDER BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I6. 1916.

1,228,960. Patented June 5,1917.

ATES

LADDER-BRACKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1917.

Application filed June 16, 1916. Serial No. 103,917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Platteville, county of Weld, and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladder-Brackets; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in brackets adapted for use in forming a ladder staging for use by paper hangers and others doing inside work and who usually employ what are called horses with boards laid thereon in order to form a staging or platform of sufficient height to enable them to work on ceilings and the upper portions of the walls of rooms.

In the use of my improvement I employ a pair of these brackets and a pair of ladders which may be of ordinary construction, that is to say, composed of two spaced bars connected by rungs arranged at suitable intervals. I further employ a board which bridges the space between the ladders and forms a platform or support for the work men. The brackets are utilized for con necting the ladders with the board, the ladders being spaced with reference to the requirements so'far as the length of the required platform is concerned, in any particular instance.

Each bracket consists of a pair of vertically disposed bifurcated or inverted U- shaped members which are connected and suitably spaced by a pair of half rings or approximately semi-circular devices which are secured to the upright members and extend in opposite directions therefrom, form ing a base adapted to engage the upper surface of the staging board. The upright bifurcated members are made to straddle two rungs of the ladder, the lower rung forming the support for the staging board. To the lower extremity of each bifurcated member of any bracket, is hinged a shackle which is open at the time the bracket is applied to the ladder, after which it is closed below the lower rung, and a set screw threaded therein is screwed tightly against the lower rung from below, thus clamping the staging board between the base of the upright members and the lower shackles, the latter when in the closed position being secured by looking pins passed through registering openings formed in the free ends of the shackles and eyes formed on the adjacent extremities of the upright members. Should a relatively long staging be required, it is evident that more than two ladders may be employed, but in any event, the construction of the bracket which is the fundamental feature of the invention, will be the same.

Having briefly outlined my improvement, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing,-

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through a staging formed by the employment of a pair of my improved ladder brackets, the section being taken on the line 1l, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22, Fig. 1, looking downwardly or in the direction of the arrow adjacent said Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the ladder partly broken' away, illustrating a bracket mounted on a ladder and connected with the staging board in accordance with the manner of using the bracket in the formation of a staging. This is a view looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the lower portion of one of the upright members of my improved bracket, the hinge shackle being shown in the open position.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate my improved bracket considered in its entirety and composed of two bifurcated members 6, each of which consists of two parallel spaced parts 7 open at one extremity as shown at 8 and closed at the opposite extremity as shown at 9. When the bracket is in use these members 6 occupy an upright or substantially vertical position and they are spaced sufiiciently to allow a staging board or plank 10 to pass between them. The two bifurcated lh members 6 are connected and secured in the spaced relation by two approximately semicircular members 12 which may be said to constitute the base of the bracket. These members 12 are arranged on opposite sides of the two members 6, speaking with reference to the. lengthwise dimension of the ioo against the upper rung Why a set screw 29 plank 10 with which the bracket is employed. Each member 12 has upwardly extending straps 13 applied to its'opposite eX- tremities and fitting against the adjacent parallel parts 7 of the two members 6 to which they are secured by rivets or other suitable fastening devices 14. These members 12 when the bracket is in use, occupy substantially horizontal positions and are located preferably nearer the lower extremities of the members 6, so. that when the bracket is applied to a ladder 15 composed of side bars 16 and rungs 17, the parallel parts 7 will extend a short distance below the lower rung 17 of the tworungs of the ladder with which my improved bracket is preferably employed. To the lower extremity of one of the parallel members 7 is hinged as shown at 18, a shackle 19 which as shown in the drawing, has an eye'20 at its free extremity or that opposite the hinge pin. This eye 20 is bifurcated and so arranged when in the closed position that its parts straddle an eye or perforated lug 21 formed on the lower extremity of the other parallelmember 7, the openings of the eyes 20 and 21 being in registering relation when the shackle is closed and adapted to receive a lockingpin 22 which is preferably connected with one of the base members 12 by a chain 23. The transverse part 2 1 of the shackle is provided with a' centrally located threaded perforation 25 adapted to receive a set screw 26 which is threaded thereinto M Y and adapted to engage from below the lower rung 17 of thetwo rungs of the ladder with which the bracket is employed. l/Vhen this set screw, is tightened upon the rung (see Figs. 1 and 3 where this feature is best illustrated), the staging board 10 is clamped between the shackle or the set screw member thereof and the base composed of the two members 12 of the bracket.

As the bifurcated members 6 of the bracket preferably have their parallel members 7 spaced somewhat wider than the "diameter of the rungs 17 of the ladder, in order that the bracket may be slipped easily into place, I prefer to employ a leaf spring 27 which is secured at one extremity as shown at 28 to one of the parallel parts 7 of each member 6, this spring being so arranged that when the staging board is clamped between the base members 12 and the set screw 26, the springmay be forced which is threaded into an opening formed in the corresponding parallel part 7. This feature taken in connection with the set screw 26, securely locks the bracket to the ladder and prevents'any lateral movementof the portion thereof above'the staging board when the bracket is in use.

From the foregoing description the. use and operation of my improved construction will be readily understood. Assuming that two ladders 15 are employed, they are placedin vertical positions and two of the brackets '5 are a Jplied to two rungs 17 thereof, the

height of these rungs being such that when the staging board 10 is placed upon the lower rungs of the ladders, it will form' a support'of sufiicient elevation for the required purpose. The board 10 may be first placed in position upon the two rungs 17 of the two ladders to be used, after which the brackets may be applied, the shackles 19 of both brackets being open in order to allow the rungs 17 to enter the bifurcated members 6' as the brackets are placed in position. When the brackets are applied to the ladders, the base members 12 will rest upon the upper surface of the staging board 10, the board The set these springs to yieldingly engage the upper rungs 17 'm question of the two ladders. After this is done .a staging will be erected of such character that it may be advantageously used by workmen for any purpose requlring a staging or elevated platform,

being more especially adapted for inside work as heretofore explained. It is evident that this staging without disassembling its members, may be movedfrom place to place within any room where it is employed. It is also readily detachable and easily carried from placeto place. The ladders forming a part of the staging will usually be of such height that the staging may be moved through doors of adjacent rooms. It is believed that this structure may be employed to great advantage for the purposes indi cated and that it will be found far superior to the ordinary improvised staging structures heretofore in vogue' Having thus described. my. invention, what I claim is,..

LA bracket composed ofspaced bifurcated members open at one end, a supporting base connecting said :members, and clamping means applied tothe open eX-- tremities of said members.

2. A bracket composed of spaced bifurcated members open at one end, a supporting base connecting said members intermediate their extremities, and clamping means applied to theopen'extremities of said members and arranged toroiiperate with the.

said base.

3. A bracket composed of spaced bifurcated members open at one end, a supporting base connecting said members above their open extremities, and clamping means applied to the open extremities of said members and cooperating with the base.

4. A bracket composed of spaced bifurcated members open at one end, a supporting base connecting said members and extendingat right angles thereto, and clamping means applied to the open extremities of said members below the base and arranged to cooperate with the latter, substantially as described.

5. A bracket composed of spaced bifurcated members open at one end, a supporting base connecting said members, said base being composed of two parts arranged on opposite sides of the two members, and clamping means applied to the open extremities of said base and arranged to cooperate with the base for securing purposes.

6. A bracket composed of spaced bifurcated members open at one end, a supporting base connecting said members above their lower extremities, said base being composed of two parts disposed at right angles to the two members and arranged on opposite sides thereof, and clamping means applied to the open extremities of the said members and cooperating with the base for securing purposes.

7. A bracket composed of spaced bifurcated members open at one end, a supporting base connecting said members, and clamping shackles movably applied to the open extremities of the two members.

8. A bracket composed of spaced bifurcated members open at one end, a supporting base connecting said members, and shackles hin-gedly connected with the open extremities of the members and cooperating with the base for securing purposes.

9. A bracket composed of spaced bifurcated members, a Supporting base connect ing said members above their lower extremities, said base being composed of two parts arranged on opposite sides of the two members, clamping shackles hingedly connected with the open extremities of the two members, and means for securing the shackles in position to close the open extremities of said members.

10. A bracket composed of bifurcated members, a supporting base connecting said members, shackles hingedly connected with the open extremities of the two members, means for securing the shackles in position, and clamping screws applied to the respec tive shackles.

11. A bracket composed of spaced bifurcated members, a supporting base connecting said members above their lower extremities, shackles hingedly connected with the said members at one extremity, the extremities of the shackles opposite the hinges being perforated to cooperate with eyes formed on the said members, and pins for securing the shackles in the closed position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES PARKER.

Witnesses:

GRACE HUs'roN, A. EBERT OBRIEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

